Introduction to the American Political Process Making Legislation: The Powers of the President

Presidential Primaries Iowa Electronic Markets

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Overview Still talking about public policy, but shifting discussion to the President Themes  Formal Powers of the President  Informal Powers  Bargaining Vetoes Executive Orders

Formal Powers of the President Veto Executive Order Commander-in-Chief Judicial Appointments Diplomacy Pardons Administration of the Bureaucracy

Informal Powers Is this the makings of “the most powerful person in the world?” Truman: “He’ll sit here, and he’ll say, ‘Do this! Do that!’ And nothing will happen. Poor Ike—it won’t be a bit like the Army. He’ll find it very frustrating.”

Informal Powers Neustadt: “The power to persuade.” Agenda Setting  Bully Pulpit  State of the Union Address Still…doesn’t take into account full range of power

Vetoes Veto  Take it or leave it  Pocket Veto  Line-item veto (RIP) What’s the big deal?  Veto rarely used  Between 1945 and /17,000 bills vetoed

Vetoes Bill importance  Vetoes more frequent on important bills, especially with divided government Veto power comes through “the logic of anticipation.”

The Second Face of Power Bargaining as a multi-stage game  Congress acts, then the president acts  Role of uncertainty Who is the veto pivot? What is the President’s ideal point?  Veto is a powerful tool for bargaining

Executive Orders Presidents can issue Executive Orders  Have the force of law until the president or a successor retracts it, Congress nullifies it, or a federal court rules it unconstitutional  : 13,000 orders issued  Over time, fewer Executive Orders, but more “significant” Executive Orders.

Executive Orders Vary greatly in importance  Executive Order 9983: Exemption of Garland S. Ferguson from Compulsory Retirement for Age.  Executive Order 13154: Establishing the Kosovo Campaign Medal.  Executive Order 9981: Establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services

Executive Orders Types of Executive Orders  Management orders (EO 1058 : smoke-free workplace)  Create Agencies (Nixon: EPA)  Enact major policy changes Truman integrating military Ike: EO – Little Rock Abortion counseling: Reagan to Clinton to Bush

Executive Orders Create new Status Quo  Example: EO Selective Services Bill: 7 desegregation amendments fails 1950 Extension of Selective Services Act: pro- segregation amendments fail